Christmas arrives in Victorian Rickmansworth
1:12pm Saturday 28th November 2009 in
The spirit of Victorian England filled Rickmansworth high street as hundreds of visitors braved the bitter cold to see seven dwarves turn on the town's Christmas lights.
The panto stars, performing this season in Snow White at the Watersmeet Theatre, were joined by Emmerdale actor Richard Grieve and Three Rivers District Council chairman Richard Lavall to illuminate the road, which had been closed to traffic for the event last night (Friday).
Fairground rides and a bouncy castle stood alongside stalls manned by local community groups, including the Rickmansworth Waterways Trust and the Rotary Club of Rickmansworth, to celebrate the town's 17th annual Victorian Evening.
Carol singers from St John's Roman Catholic School, in Berry Lane, wore Victorian costumes to entertain the crowds.
Their appearance came ahead of an impending performance at Watford Colosseum next week.
Headteacher Paula Smith said: “It's absolutely fantastic. It's great to be part of it. This is the first year our choir has been formed so to get to be part of something in the community is absolutely brilliant.
“I'm very proud of them. Their parents worked very hard on their costumes.”
Three Rivers District Council leader Ann Shaw also got into the festive spirit, roasting chestnuts on an open fire while dressed as a “Victorian peasant woman”.
She said: “I have been involved since the very start and the important thing is it's something for Rickmansworth. It gives residents a chance to come together and enjoy themselves.
“It's a long standing tradition.”
Arguably the most popular stall at the event was that belonging to Chris Blake Butchers, whose award winning sausages were being cooked and sold to raise money for the Armed Forces charity Help for Heroes.
Steve Blake said: “We've been doing it for several years. We decided this year to do it for charity and felt this one was the best one to do it for.
“We're looking to raise £600-700 for the charity. As long as the weather stays dry, it stays busy and everyone enjoys themselves, it will be a success if we can cook them fast enough.”
Staff at the Coach and Horses pub also dressed in Victorian costume as they celebrated the reopening of the saloon bar, which has been refurbished and named Salter's Bar.
Samuel Salter arrived in Rickmansworth in about 1720, and in 1741 he bought the Coach and Horses. Salter's Brewery was founded beside the pub, which later became a brewery tap in 1762, and it remained a family business for the next 200 years.
Landlord Dick Best said: “Samuel Salter was the first owner of this pub. I thought I would call is Salter's Bar because it was the first pub that started the brewing tradition in Rickmansworth.”
Nina Hosking, chairman of the Rickmansworth Chamber of Commerce, said the first Victorian evening was organised to bring customer back to the High Street during a recession that saw 17 empty units in the town centre, and has continued ever since.
More than £7,000 has been raised to begin replacing the Christmas lights, following grants from Three Rivers District Council, Hertfordshire County Council and Skanska/Balfour Beatty.
She said: “It's a community event but also it's about supporting your local businesses and shopping locally, particularly at Christmas and particularly this year.
“The shops are suffering so it's to encourage people to get back into the town centre.”
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